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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

ViiiiBBBBraaaaMMMMsssSS

Yes, I'm that excited about them. Not even normal capitalization rules can contain it. For the longest time I didn't think I'd ever be able to get into barefoot running. Then suddenly (approximately a week and a half ago) the idea popped into my head and, rather than thinking it's ridiculous like I normally do, I was actually really excited about the prospect of walking and running around almost barefoot. So I began looking around online and figuring out where I could get them, both online and in stores. I found a few websites selling them for $75-$80, but it was only one or two models. Not only that, but I couldn't try them on and I certainly didn't want to spend that kind of money and not be able to return them if they didn't fit.

I decided the best best option would be to get them from JackRabbit, the same store that organizes the Indoor Triathlon Series and put on the Shamrock Shuffle. Once you spend a certain amount of money ($150, if I remember correctly) and register with them, you get 10% off of everything you buy there. Considering how expensive running and triathlon stuff can be, it's a decent deal. And since I haven't spent too much money on running shoes in the last couple of years, I decided to take the leap and buy a pair. This is what they look like:

I made it short because I thought it might be hard to run in them at first. It wasn't as hard as I anticipated, but it will take some getting used to before I'll be able to do longer runs in them. I also worried that blisters and chafing might be an issue. They still might on a longer run, but today I had no issues. It could just be that the top part is designed enough like a sock that it's not as abrasive on bare skin as normal running shoes would be. I was also delightfully surprised to find that I seemed to be running faster. I'm not sure I was as I didn't time myself, but it definitely felt like it. Next time I'll time it to find out for sure.

Nice blog you have here. FYI, I created a community of triathlete bloggers online called TriumphTriathlon.com. It's still in BETA phase right now but I'm trying to grow the community. You could also win free entry into the 140.6 of your choice! Please check out. Thanks for your help and keep up the good work on your blog!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! If you want to run for the rest of your life, don't do it. Good running shoes not only provide support for your feet but your hips and knees as well. You may not feel it now because you are young, but the aches and pains will come. Take it from an old man!